Consumer Federation of America today urged consumers to contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the Agency’s proposal to allow milk and meat from cloned animals into the U.S. food supply.

“Independent national opinion polls overwhelmingly show that consumers are uncomfortable with cloning and do not want to consume food from cloned animals,” said Chris Waldrop, Director of CFA’s Food Policy Institute.  “Consumers need to make their voices heard.”

On December 28, 2006 the FDA released its draft risk assessment, which concluded that milk and meat from cloned animals was as safe to eat as food from conventional animals.  The FDA also stated that it would not require labeling of these products to identify them in the marketplace.  The Agency is seeking comments from the public through April 2, 2007.

Consumers have a right to know where their food is coming from and what’s in it.  Recent independent public opinion polls report consumers declare they will not knowingly eat products from cloned animals even after FDA approves them.  By allowing these products into the marketplace without any identifying label information, consumers will have no way of knowing if the food they’re purchasing has come from cloned animals or not.  And they won’t be able to avoid it if they want to.

A recent Gallup public opinion poll reported that over 60 percent of Americans think cloning is immoral.  Many Americans have distinct moral, ethical and religious concerns about the technology of cloning.  Neither the agency nor animal scientists are qualified to tell us whether and when it is ethically acceptable for humans to alter the essential nature of animals.  We need a national dialogue, including ethicists and religious leaders, to consider the wisdom of creating cloned animals.

In addition, cloned meat and milk offer no public economic benefits.  Having cloned cows produce more milk will not reduce milk prices for consumers.  U.S. farmers already produce more milk that we can drink and the federal government is required to buy up the surplus.  Since 1999, this has cost taxpayers over 6 billion dollars.

“The FDA is rushing headlong down a path that provides no benefits to consumers,” Waldrop said.  “It is essential that the FDA hear from consumers about their concerns.”